There exists a sub-section of our community which isn’t strictly united around genre but more around the identity of those who produce the music an the ways in which they do that. I’m speaking, of course, of the guitar-centered solo musicians and their small yet tight circle. You can find…

When we say “multi-instrumentalist”, what do we mean? Certainly, at the basic level of the term, there is the technicality and skill involved in mastering and playing multiple instruments. However, composition and songwriting are also large aspects of the phenomenon described by the term “multi-instrumentalist”. We expect a kind of eclectic approach mingled with a far-flung direction, a tone and voice that would single out the “multi-instrumental” artist in our minds as a discrete, musical unit.

Clément Belio’s career, so far, has both cemented and called into doubt the “multi-instrumentalist” label. His album from 2014, Contrast, was more of an experiment in homage, in variance around familiar themes. It was brilliant, to say the least, but perhaps lacked that innately emotive spark that would cement his direction and musical interest. Thus, we waited with baited breaths for his next release, not quite sure of what to expect. Would the next release continue the line which Contrast sketched out? Would it even be metal, when you take into consideration Belio’s extensive, musical education and background?

Going over the twelve entries we’ve selected as the cream of the musical loner crop, it’s amazing to see not only the variety of genres present, but the fact that such enormous, impactful music can come from a single individual. From guitar porn to one man black metal to a whole slew of electronic subgenres, these artists prove that “strength in numbers” may not apply to everyone. Because while this crew may not have been the most social group on the playground, they spent their alone time producing some of our favorite music and proving that collaboration isn’t a necessity for quality tunes. So without further ado, sit back and reminisce with us over our favorite one person projects, or enjoy discovering what any one of these twelve musicians has to offer. And of course, feel free to comment with further suggestions of exceptional musicians who handily do it all.

The Thanksgiving holidays are upon us and all the mirth has put us a week behind on our review of our reviews. The Last Two Weeks in Reviews after the jump. Usnea – Random Cosmic Violence Eden Kupermintz kicks us off with his 4/5 look at Usnea’s entry into what…

Open minds/personal pronouns alert. Confession time: I’ve been trying to review this album for months. If you’ve been following the blog this year, you know that I have a pretty good turn around rate for reviews. However, this one has just haunted me in the best kind of way. What…